Last week I visited my hometown, Kaohsiung, Taiwan where I was born and grew up until finishing high school. I went to college in nearby town of Tainan and  then came to the US for the graduate school and eventually settled down in US. Here is the beautiful subway station “Formosa Boulevard” that did not exist when I was growing up:

“Situated at the Kaohsiung MRT transfer station for the Red Line and Orange Line (Formosa Boulevard Station), the Dome of Light was created by renowned artist Narcissus Quagliata. The dome is the world’s largest public art installation made from individual pieces of colored glass. The work not only adds to the beauty of the station, but also adds a new dimension to the art life of the Kaohsiung and creates a new scenic spot in the city. The Dome of Light took nearly four years to complete. The work was overseen personally by Quagliata and shipped from Germany for installation at the station. The dome tells the story of human life in four chronologically arranged themes: Water: The Womb of Life; Earth: Prosperity and Growth; Light: The Creative Spirit; and Fire: Destruction and Rebirth, with an overall message of love and tolerance. The dome has a 30-meter diameter and covers an area of 660 square meters. The lead glass panes were created and assembled according to a full-scale blueprint created by Quagliata to produce a creative new departure from this millennia old art form.”